Propeller means for vessels



April 23,1929; F, ALE$5| 1,710,562

PROPELLER MEANS FOR VESSELS Filed Feb. 15, 1927 Fatented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED .STATES rain) ALEssI, or WOOIDRIIDGE, new JERSEY.

PBOPELL ER MEANS FOR VESSELS.

Application filed February 15, 1927. Serial N0.'168,287,

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in shippropulsionmeans and more partieularlyto a novel and improved propellershaft and propeller blade assembly wherein the maximum power may beobtained and greater speed results.

One of the objects of'my invention is to provide in a propeller shaft aseries of radially disposed blades located in advance of each other andpositioned at any point between the bow and stern of a vessel so as toconstitute an auxiliary power means for Creating greater speed.

Another object of my invention isto provide means associated with themain propeller shafts located in suitable water tunnels in the keel of avessel said shafts being operated through the usual engines whichdrivethe rear propeller'blades.

V In order to more fully understand and appreciate the purpose andobjects of my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawingshowing a preferred embodiment therein.

Fig. 1 is a viewshowing the seriesofpropeller blades located in thewater tunnels adjacent the keel of a vessel.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the blades located in the watertunnels.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the blades attached to the shaft.

Fig. 4; is an enlarged and preferred form showing the blades attached toa rod to be fastened or connected to the propeller shaft, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view from the blades and the said rod.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 5 designatesthe body and 6 the keel of any vessel. The keel is provided with watertunnels 7, 8, located on each side of the body and which may be at anysuitable point between the bow and the stern. The height of the watertunnel may vary depending upon the draft of the vessel and is preferablycurved shaped at its top 9 so asnot to offer resistance to the water.

The main shaft '10 of the vessel has detachably connected thereto asshown in Fig. 8 for instance, an auxiliary propeller shaft or a rod 11to which is directly connected a series of radially disposed blades 12and the main shaftsconstituting an extension of the auxiliary shaft. Asshown by Figs. 1

ands ofthedrawings for instance, two sets of blades are so shown, onedirectly in advance of the other.

In Fig. 4; I have shownthe blades 12' di-' rect-ly connected to the rod13 in a slightlydifferent manner, said auxiliary shaft or red beingprovided with grooves or recesses into which the blades 12 arepermanentlysecured so that the rods. may be attached with. the bladesthrough the'main propeller shaft. It has always been recognized that thegreatest power derived from the propeller bladesis at the point furthestI'BHIOVGClflOHI the shaft and conversely the least amount of poweroccurs about the propeller shaft itself. In

other words the suction created aboutthe propeller shaft, tends toretard the speed of i the vessel. Consequently I have arranged a seriesof propeller blades, one in advance of another, so that the lost motionor power of the first-series of blades is compensated for by theadjacent series of blades 12. In each nstance it will be noted that theradially disposed blades 12 and '12, are somewhat curved and extend fora considerable distance along the rods and the main propeller shaft ofthe vessel. This is somewhat of a departure from the practice ofproviding pro-- peller blades of considerable length connected to thepropeller shaft at right angles thereto. In other words the greatestlength of the propeller blades 12, 12 is longitudinallyof the rod andthe propeller shaft rather than at right angles thereto. In this way Iam enabled to obtain greater surface 1 contact between the blades andthe water and consequently increasethe efficiency and obtain the maximumpowerfrom the pro peller shaft and driving engines.

To a certain extent my drawings are illustrative of my invention, noattempt being made to set forth the detail of a vessel construction orthe water tunnels. The propeller blades mounted in series constitutean'auxiliary propulsion means without efiecting themain propellerusually at the stern. In other. words by providing a series of bladesalong the propeller shaft and located in water tunnels below the waterline of the vessel, I am enabled to obtain greater surface contactbetween the blades and the water than can be otherwise had. I alsorealize that the blades may be attachedto the power shaft in othermanner than herein shown and I therefore do not wish to be limited orrestricted to the exact construction illustrated.

lly invention is directed to the broad idea of mounting a serles orplurality of sets of radially disposed blades of cons1derable lengthextendin along the propeller shaft as distinguishediiom that type ofpropeller blades mounted on a shaft at right angles thereto.

longitudinal power shafts, auxiliary propel ler shafts detachablyconnected to one end of said main shafts constitutingprolongationsthereof and located in each of said tunnels, two sets ofradially disposed blades directly 7 connected to said auxiliarypropeller shafts,

said blades-being disposed in advance of one Z rasse another and thelength of said blades being considerably greater than the height of thetunnels; I

2. In combination with a ship body having tunnels below the normal waterline interlnediate'the ends of said body, longitudinal main powershafts, auxiliary propeller shafts detachably connected to the forwardend of each said main shafts constituting prolongations thereof andlocated in each of said tunnels, two sets of radially disposedblades inadvance of each other directly connected to the auxiliary shafts, eachof said blades being curved from end to end and of a length c on-'siderably greater than the height of the tunnel.

In testimon whereof I afiiiz m I simiatnre.

FRED l-XLESSI.

